Does God Really Do It All?

When people praise something I’ve done, I often reply: “God is the Doer.”

And, very often they object, “Yes – but you had to do something, too!”

Well, I didn’t, and I refuse to let people hypnotize me with that thought. Because God does everything.

It’s a question of our perspective – do we see ourselves isolated from creation, acting as little egos? Or do we ask, “How did God manifest you and me?” The answer, of course, is that he created us out of Himself. He became everything, and He is everything.

(Photo: Gray fox, western US. If we would take the time to calm and harmonize our hearts, we would see God everywhere.)

You are not your little body and personality. You are that Infinite One who is acting for a short time in a particular body. He does everything through you.

How we see ourselves is a matter of great practical consequence. It is by no means only air philosophical speculation.

As you look over your life and accomplishments, don’t let yourself say, “I did that well!” Remember that God was acting through you in those experiences, and give Him the credit.

Similarly, if you’ve made mistakes, or if you’ve done something badly, don’t be angry or sad.

Learn to say, “I am a child of God, and even if I have made mistakes, I give them to Him, as He is the Doer of everything.”

When you’re tempted to feel personal about anything, take it as an opportunity to practice giving it all back to God. Say, “God did it, not I.”

The more you do this, the freer you will feel. Nothing can touch you, except as you take it personally.

At a conference many years ago on spiritual communities, I invited some of the speakers to dinner at a restaurant. I was the host, and the only speaker who had actually started a community. Yet they talked only to each other. They thought they were the important ones.

I was delighted. I didn’t feel insulted or belittled. I saw it as a wonderful opportunity to practice what I believe, which is to be humble, a non-entity, seeing God as the only reality.

I offer this as an example because we all have experiences like this. Perhaps people don’t give you the recognition you deserve. Perhaps they insult you.

The normal reaction is to become upset. Instead, try to see it as an opportunity to say: “It doesn’t matter.”

Treat it as a play between you and God. Say, “God, that was a very good insult!”

You’ll find that the less you think “I matter,” the happier you will be.

Always keep in mind that you can’t do anything in this world that’s really important. Man is not important. We need to do everything with the understanding that it will all pass. We must do our best, and then leave the results in God’s hands.

Having said that, what is our role in this life? It’s very important always to ask God to guide you. Yogananda said that we should pray: “I will reason, I will will, I will act. But guide Thou my reason, will, and activity in everything I do.”

The more you do that, the more you will find Him guiding your thoughts and showing you what to do.

One of the most important things is to stop thinking that you are separate from life, from everyone else, and above all, from God. Learn to see God in others. But first you have to see God in yourself.

Then, as you walk in the streets and see people, say to yourself: “They want what I want. Each one is seeking joy.” If their faces don’t show joy, pray for them mentally. It’s wonderful when you find strangers responding because they feel your joy.

Paramhansa Yogananda wrote a poem about the experience of cosmic ecstasy – samadhi. In one verse, he says: “I, the cosmic sea, watch the little ego floating in me.”

You are that cosmic sea. Don’t limit yourself to this little body. What freedom there is, when you can think, “He does it all. His joy is the only reality.”

The more you put your mind on God, the more He becomes your only reality. Try to do everything with Him. Eat with Him, walk with Him, feel Him in your heart, and talk with Him all the time.

When you walk alone, try to feel God’s energy making your limbs move. Feel that it’s God’s energy in the wind, the breeze, the leaves. When a dog barks, feel that God is talking to you. In time, you will begin to feel that God is talking to you through all your experiences.

God doesn’t often come through great visions. Usually He comes as if through the back door. You suddenly realize that He is “in the house.” You feel happier. If people do things that used to upset you, you no longer feel disturbed. People take things from you and you think, “What does it matter?” More and more, life becomes delightful, because you understand why you are here, and where you must seek what you are looking for.

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If you would like to learn about the teachings of Swami Kriyananda and Paramhansa Yogananda, we invite you to visit the website of Ananda India. There, you will find free online books, videos of Swami Kriyananda, resources for study, and opportunities to meet with other seekers. You can also phone: 98992 67698 or 98992 00605.

You can also watch Swami Kriyananda’s wonderful 8-minute Gita videos on YouTube.